Authorities: Woman killed in I-85 crash with tractor-trailers

Thursday

Oct 3, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 3, 2013 at 6:02 PM

A woman was killed and traffic backed up into Cleveland County after a crash involving her car and two tractor-trailers on Interstate 85 in upstate South Carolina on Thursday evening, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

Staff reports

Updated 11:45 p.m.

Officials say the woman killed in the I-85 crash Thursday evening was a Southern Wesleyan University student from Delaware.

Cherokee County (S.C.) Coroner Dennis Fowler said Krystal Brooke Pearce, of Harbeson in Delaware, was killed when her car crossed the median and traveled into the southbound lanes, hitting two tractor-trailers.

“The victim’s car collided with the rear wheels of the truck’s trailer,” Fowler said in a news release. “She was trapped in the badly mangled vehicle and died at the scene from multiple body trauma.”

A front-seat passenger in Pearce’s car, also a Southern Wesleyan University student, was injured and transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for treatment, Fowler said.

Fowler said it’s currently unknown why Pearce’s vehicle traveled into the median.

An autopsy has been ordered to aid in the investigation of the crash, according to the coroner’s office.

Fowler said university officials told him the students were en route home when the crash happened.

Updated 10:45 p.m.

A woman was killed and traffic backed up into Cleveland County after a crash involving her car and two tractor-trailers on Interstate 85 in upstate South Carolina on Thursday evening, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

Troopers said a woman lost control of the 2003 Toyota four-door car she was driving northbound on I-85 and entered southbound lanes near exit 106 just inside Cherokee County, S.C.

The car hit a 2013 Freightliner with a trailer driven by Kenneth Goodman, 53, of Virginia, and a 2007 Freightliner with a trailer driven by James Allen Cartherns, 51, of Georgia, troopers said.

The Freightliner driven by Cartherns overturned and covered southbound lanes, backing up traffic through Cleveland County.

The Toyota driver was killed and a passenger was flown to a hospital, according to the highway patrol.

The driver's name has not yet been released, pending notification of family.

Cartherns was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The crash happened about 5:10 p.m.

Southbound drivers were rerouted off I-85 while traffic was blocked by the overturned tractor-trailer.

Star news partners WSOC-TV and the Spartanburg Herald-Journal contributed to this report.

Updated 6:51 p.m.

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Billy Elder said the crash has affected the southbound lanes. Drivers are being diverted off I-85 South in North Carolina at exit 2, the exit for N.C. Highway 216. Drivers may take Highway 216 to U.S. 29, and get back on the interstate in South Carolina, Elder said.

The crash remains under investigation and details of the crash weren’t immediately available.

The crash happened about 5:15 p.m.

6:02 p.m.

Emergency officials said a crash on southbound Interstate 85 in upstate South Carolina is backing up traffic into Cleveland County.

Cherokee County (S.C.) communications officials called the crash "severe."

They said it happened near mile marker 106 south of the North Carolina state line.

No further information was immediately available.

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